New environmental permit for Kemira Pigments Oy

Kemira Pigments Oy’s Pori titanium dioxide plant has been obtained a new environmental permit. The permit applies to the continuing of the plant’s present operations by raising its capacity from 120,000 tons of pigment to 150,000 tons per year. The permit also applies to increasing the production of sulfuric acid needed by the plant, utilization of the iron sulfate by-product, and the closing of the pilling areas for iron sulfate and ilmenite residue located within the plant site, and the work on their surface isolation. Compared to the earlier situation, the waste water releases of the plant have been minor since the commissioning of the waste water neutralization plant at the end of the 1990s. The permit also states that no damages necessitating compensation occur any longer. However, the effluent limit values have been tightened, taking into consideration the levels achievable with best available technology. The limit values for sulfur dioxide emissions have been retained unchanged based on the directive applied to this branch of industry. The limit values of particulate emissions have been tightened so that they now meet in all accordance with the requirements of the best available technology. Iron sulfate, which is formed at the plant as a by-product in the production of titanium dioxide, and which amounts to about 500,000 tons per year, was previously pilled partly on the site. Now it is sold entirety to be used as a water purification chemical or in the production of such chemicals.